Animal cooling mat

ABSTRACT

The present animal cooling mat apparatus includes a mat shell, at least one coolant sheet, at least one cushioning pad, and at least one foam pad. The coolant sheet is removably located within the mat shell, with the cushioning pad removably located within the mat shell above the at least one coolant sheet and the insulating pad is located within the mat shell below the at least one coolant sheet. The coolant sheet provides a heat sink to rapidly cool an animal, while the cushioning pad facilitates heat transfer and the insulating pad reduces the amount of ambient heat transferred from the environment. Multiple apparatuses may be combined to accommodate larger animals.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of prior-filed, pending U.S. Utilitypatent application Ser. No. 16/207,990, filed Dec. 3, 2018, whichapplication claims priority from prior-filed U.S. Patent ProvisionalApplications Nos. 62/571,983, filed on Oct. 13, 2017, and 62/594,258,filed on Dec. 4, 2017, and U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No.16/160,054, filed on Oct. 15, 2018, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a support for an animal, and morespecifically, to a cooling mat for an animal.

Animals such as dogs can be extremely sensitive to heat due to theirsize, lack of sweat glands, and often thick fur coats. A dog outside ona hot day can quickly overheat, going from a normal body temperature of101 degrees to a hyperthermic 104 degrees in only a few minutes ofexercise. Dogs with stocky bodies heat up faster and cool down slower,as do small breeds and brachycephalic breeds (e.g. pugs and bulldogs).News networks are replete with stories of dogs left in cars or outsideon hot days who overheated and died. In 2012, a beloved bulldog collegemascot died of heatstroke during an outside excursion in triple-digittemperatures. In the aftermath of a 2016 earthquake, a search and rescuedog died of heatstroke after rescuing seven people from a collapsedbuilding.

Unfortunately, many dogs require daily exercise or trips outside toeliminate waste. Even short excursions in high temperatures can beharmful, especially for elderly or infirm dogs. Working dogs, such asexplosive- and contraband-detecting dogs, members of law enforcement andmilitary K9 units, guard dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs, andothers often do not have the luxury of waiting for temperatures to coolbefore venturing outside. Working dogs must frequently venture intoareas far from air conditioning, and may be required to exert themselvesover long distances.

If air conditioning breaks down or is otherwise unavailable, or if a dogrequires immediate, drastic cooling, immersion in a container of coolwater may be the only way to cool the dog. This solution is obviouslyproblematic if one lacks a cool water source. Dogs may resist immersionor otherwise be difficult for a small, elderly, or disabled owner tolift into the container. It may be difficult to find a container capableof accommodating large dogs, especially without going back outdoors intothe heat.

Some owners attempt to cool dogs using protective coverings withevaporating water. Sadly, if the ambient humidity level is too high,evaporative coverings can actually transfer heat to the dog, making theproblem worse. The moisture can also cause skin irritation. Gelcushioning pads for dogs to rest on do transfer some heat, but cannotprovide sufficient heat transfer or heat sink capacity for rapid orprolonged cooling. If placed on a warmed surface, such as a warm floor,gel cushioning pads rapidly transfer heat from the warm surface,possibly negating any heat transfer from the dog.

The present invention provides a simple, thermally effective means ofrapidly cooling an animal which can be adapted for large or smallanimals.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present animal cooling mat apparatus includes a mat shell, at leastone coolant sheet, at least one cushioning pad, and at least one foampad. The coolant sheet is removably located within the mat shell, withthe cushioning pad removably located within the mat shell above the atleast one coolant sheet and the insulating pad is located within the matshell below the at least one coolant sheet.

The present cooling mat system includes a plurality of the above animalcooling mat apparatuses disclosed above. Each of the animal cooling matapparatuses is connected along at least one edge to another of theanimal cooling mat apparatuses

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, and 1 d illustrate top, bottom, cross-sectional,and front views, respectively, of an aspect of an animal cooling mat.

FIG. 2 illustrates a disassembled view of an aspect of an animal coolingmat.

FIG. 3 illustrates an aspect of a modular cooling mat system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, and 1 d illustrate top, bottom, cross-sectional,and front views, respectively, of one aspect of an animal cooling mat100. Cooling mat 100 includes a mat shell 110 enclosing a removablecoolant sheet 120, a removable cushioning pad 130, and a removableinsulating pad 140. FIG. 1 d shows mat shell 110 completely opened forremoval of coolant sheet 120, cushioning pad 130, and/or insulating pad140. FIG. 2 shows animal cooling mat 100 with coolant sheet 120,cushioning pad 130, and insulating pad 140 removed from mat shell 110.

The outer surface of mat shell 110 is shell envelope 111 which may beformed by two rectangular layers of material connected together alongthree sides, such as by stitching, adhesive, heat sealing, folding alarger piece of material, or any combination thereof within the sameside or between sides. In various aspects, the shell envelope fabric isa ripstop polyester fabric coated with a polymer backing on its innersurface. In one aspect, the shell envelope is a 420 Denier ripstoppolyester fabric coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A shell binding112 may be folded over one or more of the three connected sides andstitched in place to prevent unravelling and increase edge strength.Shell envelope 111 is typically machine washable.

Shell envelope 111 can be closed by means of a shell closure flap 113extending from an unattached edge of one of the rectangular layers.Usually, half of at least one shell closure fastener 114 is located onshell closure flap 113, while the other is located on the outer surfaceof the other layer, allowing shell closure flap 113 to be folded overand held in place, closing shell envelope 111. In one aspect, shellclosure fastener 114 is a hook-and-loop fastener. In other aspects,shell closure fastener 114 is a snap fastener, a zipper fastener, or abutton fastener. Certain aspects may dispense with shell closure flap113 and use a zippered shell closure fastener 114 affixed directly tothe rectangular layers to close shell envelope 111.

In certain aspects, mat shell 110 may also include optional upper andlower inner dividers 115 a and 115 b which can be used to separateremovable coolant sheet 120, removable cushioning pad 130, and/orremovable insulating pad 140, and hold them in place. Each inner divider115 may be a layer of material held in place between layers of shellenvelope 111. In various aspects, the inner divider fabric can be asynthetic fabric, such as, but not limited to, polyester fabric. In oneaspect, the inner divider fabric is a 210 Denier polyester fabric.Divider fasteners 116 may close each inner divider 115 to an interiorsurface of shell envelope 111 or another inner divider 115. In oneaspect, divider fasteners 115 are hook-and-loop fasteners. Other aspectsmay use a snap fastener, a zipper fastener, or a button fastener.Certain aspects may use fewer or no inner dividers 115, allowingremovable coolant sheet 120, removable cushioning pad 130, and/orremovable insulating pad 140 to rest in direct contact with each otherin mat shell 110.

Cooling mat 100 can be a modular mat. In such aspects, at least oneclosed edge on each cooling mat 100 features at least one connectivefastener. In the aspects shown in FIGS. 1 a, 1 b , and 3, the fastenerson one short edge include multiple snap sockets 117 while the oppositeshort edge features multiple corresponding snap posts 118. The closedlong edge (i.e. the edge opposite shell closure flap 113 in aspect shownin FIG. 1 a ) generally has multiple pairs of snap sockets 117 and snapposts 118 spaced regularly along the edge. In still other aspects, snapsockets 117 and snap posts 118 may be replaced by other fasteners, suchas, but not limited to, buttons and buttonholes, hook-and-loopfasteners, hook-and-eye fasteners, zippers, and any other fastener knownin the art.

In one aspect, a first pair of snap sockets 117 and snap posts 118 islocated next to the first short edge, a second pair is located in themiddle of the long edge, and a third pair is located next to the secondshort edge. The open ends of snap sockets 117 can all face in the samedirection; this direction is opposite the direction faced by snap posts118. This can ensure connection of the long edges no matter whichcooling mat 100 the user places over the other. In other aspects, atleast one open end of the snap sockets 117 faces in the same directionas at least one of the snap posts 118. In still other aspects, more orfewer pairs of snap sockets 117 and snap posts 118 may be used.

Coolant sheet 120 is typically a polymeric backing layer and a polymerictop layer forming “cells” of freezable coolant encapsulated in rows andcolumns. The heat absorption capacity of the frozen coolant sheet 120serves to increase the heat absorption capacity of animal cooling mat100 above typical gel mats used at room temperature. In one aspect, thesize of coolant sheet 120 is approximately 7×10 to 8×11 cells. Certainaspects may use multiple coolant sheets 120 collectively having a totalof approximately 70 to 88 cells. In one aspect, the coolant in the cellsis water, due to water's non-toxicity and phase change profile, whichprovides a high heat sink capacity and rapid cooling rate withoutconcomitant thermal shock. Other non-toxic coolants with similar phasechange profiles may also be used, such as, but not limited to, a gel oran alternative coolant in the cells.

In certain aspects, at least one cushioning pad 130 is located in theupper compartment formed by upper inner divider 115 a and shell envelope111. Cushioning pad 130 may cushion the animal from coolant sheet 120and conduct heat more evenly from the animal to coolant sheet 120 toavoid hot or cold spots and increase cooling efficiency. Cushioning pad130 can also provide increased separation between the animal and coolantsheet 120, preventing potential thermal injury. Cushioning pad 130 canbe formed by a cushioning pad shell 131 enclosing a quantity ofnon-toxic, fluid or semi-fluid heat conductor 133. In one aspect, heatconductor 133 is water. In another aspect, heat conductor 133 is aheat-conducting gel. In one aspect, cushioning pad 130 also includes acushioning baffle 132 such as, but not limited to, a sheet of open cellfoam.

In the aspect of FIGS. 1 a through 1 d , at least one insulating pad 140may be located in the lower compartment formed by lower inner divider115 b and shell envelope 111. Insulating pad 140 can provide anadditional measure of cushioning to the animal and to insulate coolantsheet 120 from the floor, reducing heat transfer from the floor.Insulating pad 140 may be formed by an insulating pad cover 141enclosing at least one insulating sheet 142. In various aspects,insulating pad cover 141 is a sealed polymer bag. In one aspect,insulating cover 141 is a low-density polyethylene bag. In variousaspects, insulating sheet 142 is a sheet of closed cell polymer foam. Inone aspect, insulating sheet 142 is a polyethylene insulating sheet.Other aspects may use polychloroprene, nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR),ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, or another insulating foam. In certainother aspects, insulating sheet 142 is permanently sewn to shellenvelope 111 or in between lower inner divider 115 b and shell envelope111. Such aspects may or may not include insulating cover 141.

In use, a user can open shell closure flap 113 of mat shell 110, insertcoolant sheet 120 between upper and lower inner dividers 115 a and 115b, close shell closure flap 113, and place mat 100 on the ground. Ananimal may then lie on an upper surface of mat 100, transferring heat tomat 100 from their side and/or belly. The animal's side has a greatersurface area, while the belly typically has less fur (in some cases, nofur, allowing most efficacious direct skin-to-cooling mat 100 contact),making a more efficient heat transfer. Mat 100 is easily transportable,allowing it to be used in a building, out-of-doors, or in a vehicle.

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , cooling mat 100 may be a modular mat. Coolingmat 100 can be used on its own for smaller animals, or multiple coolingmats 100 may be attached together to accommodate multiple or largeranimals in a cooling mat system 200. One aspect of cooling mat system200 shown in FIG. 3 has a 2×3 configuration. In other aspects, coolingmat system 200 may have a 1×2, 2×1, 1×n, or 2×n configuration of coolingmats 100, where n is any number of cooling mats 100 a user wishes toinclude. The number of connected cooling mats 100 could range to thedozens or even hundreds.

It should be understood that while the background refers to dogs, theapparatus and system may accommodate cooling any animal capable ofresting on the apparatus.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beinferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued. Any different configurations, systems, and method stepsdescribed herein may be used alone or in combination with otherconfigurations, systems, and method steps. It is to be expected thatvarious equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An animal cooling mat apparatus, comprising: amat shell; at least one coolant sheet, wherein the at least one coolantsheet is removably located within the mat shell; at least one cushioningpad, wherein the at least one cushioning pad is removably located withinthe mat shell above the at least one coolant sheet; and at least oneinsulating pad, wherein the at least one insulating pad is locatedwithin the mat shell below the at least one coolant sheet.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the mat shell comprises a shell envelopeformed from two rectangular layers of synthetic fabric connectedtogether along three sides.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the matshell comprises a shell closure flap extending from an unattached edgeof one of the rectangular layers.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, whereinthe mat shell comprises at least one of an upper inner divider and alower inner divider, wherein each of the upper and lower inner dividersis a layer of synthetic fabric held in place between the rectangularlayers of the shell envelope.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themat shell comprises a shell envelope formed from a ripstop polyestercoated with a polymer backing on the inner surfaces of the shellenvelope.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least onecushioning pad comprises a cushioning pad shell enclosing a fluid orsemi-fluid heat conductor.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein thecushioning pad further comprises a cushioning baffle.
 8. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the at least one insulating pad comprises at leastone insulating sheet.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at leastone insulating sheet is a sheet of closed cell polymer foam.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one insulating pad comprisesan insulating pad cover enclosing the at least one insulating sheet 11.The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the insulating pad cover is a sealedpolymer bag.
 12. A cooling mat system, comprising: a plurality of animalcooling mat apparatuses, each apparatus comprising: a mat shell, atleast one coolant sheet, wherein the at least one coolant sheet isremovably located within the mat shell, at least one cushioning pad,wherein the at least one cushioning pad is removably located within themat shell above the at least one coolant sheet, and at least oneinsulating pad, wherein the at least one insulating pad is locatedwithin the mat shell below the at least one coolant sheet, wherein eachof the plurality of animal cooling mat apparatuses is connected along atleast one edge to another of the plurality of animal cooling matapparatuses.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mat shell comprisesa plurality of fasteners along a first short edge and a plurality offasteners along a second short edge, wherein the first short edge isopposite the second short edge.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein themat shell comprises a plurality of fasteners spaced regularly along aclosed long edge.
 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the mat shellcomprises a plurality of snap sockets along a first short edge and aplurality of snap posts along a second short edge, wherein the firstshort edge is opposite the second short edge.
 16. The system of claim15, wherein each open end of the snap sockets of the plurality of pairsof snap sockets and snap posts faces in the same direction.
 17. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein each of the snap sockets of the plurality ofpairs of snap sockets and snap posts faces a direction opposite each ofthe snap posts of the plurality of pairs of snap sockets and snap posts.18. The system of claim 12, wherein the mat shell comprises at least onepair of fasteners along at least one closed edge.
 19. The system ofclaim 18, wherein the at least one pair of fasteners comprises aplurality of regularly spaced pairs of snap sockets and snap posts,wherein at least one open end of the snap sockets faces in the samedirection as at least one of the snap posts.
 20. The system of claim 18,wherein the at least one pair of fasteners comprises a plurality ofregularly spaced pairs of snap sockets and snap posts, wherein at leastone open end of the snap sockets faces a direction opposite at least oneof the of the snap posts.